nissan leaf

Sue Selle was introducing her science students to ways they might reduce their carbon footprint -- including the many forms of alternative-fuel cars available in today’s market. Then came the question: "Ms. Selle, do you drive one of those cars?" The answer was no. She shared her reasons, but her words felt hollow. "I always try to be a role model to my students, to practice the environmentally-conscious actions that I teach about. I didn't like that I couldn't do that in this case."

When Kelly Schmandt Ferguson took a job in Santa Ynez last year, commuting to work by bus was no longer an option for the Santa Barbara resident. Concerns over increased gas expenses and the environmental impacts of fossil fuel emissions as well as the desire to “support a technology that [she] believed in” led Kelly to research leasing an electric vehicle.